Middle School Division

AGE ELIGIBILITY

The Middle School divisions are open to girls in 6th, 7th and 8th grades who are generally between the ages of 11 and 15 years old. There are two middle school divsions:

MSA - the more experienced and more competitive divison for teams whose average player experience is 2.5 years or more.

MSB - a more developmental and less competitive divsion for middle school aged players with less playing experience than the average of 2.5 years for players in the MSA division.

 

DIVISION OBJECTIVES

The middle school division is intended to be a very competitive format in which players compete to hone personal and team skills and gain experience to prepare them for High School lacrosse participation.

 

TIME

  • 2 x 25 minute running time halves.
  • 1 x 5 minute halftime.
  • 1 x 1 minute timeout per team per half.
  • The clock will not stop during a timeout unless the timeout is taken in the final two minutes of the 2nd half only.
  • Clock stops for fouls & for out-of-bounds in the final two minutes of the game.
  • In the event of a tie at the end of regulation play, there will be an OT period.
  • OT is a single 5 minute running time sudden-death period.
  • There are NO timeouts in OT.
  • In the event that there is no score during the OT period, a regular season game MAY end in a tie.
  • Playoff or championship games, MAY NOT end in a tie and will be decided by successive 5 minute sudden death OT periods until there is a winner.

 

PERSONNEL

  • Each team is entitled to play a full compliment of 12 players (4 defenders; 4 attackers; 3 midfielders; 1 goaltender)
  • In the event that a team does not have a full compliment of players, the coaches shall agree to an acceptable number of players per side and per position, prior to the start of the game provided that the game will proceed with at least 9 players per side (3 defenders; 3 attackers; 2 midfielders; 1 goaltender).
  • There is no forfeit to a team with fewer than 12 players, unless a team has fewer than 9 players.
  • In the event of forfeiture, the game will still go on by combining players from the two teams and all other rules will apply. The result of such a game will not be counted in the standings.
  • In the event of a forfeit, the score of the game will be recorded as a 1-0 win for the non-forfeiting team.
  • All teams MUST play a GOALTENDER, equipped as per USL guidelines.

OFFICIATING

  • All games will be officiated by 2 (two) paid US Lacrosse certified officials.
  • Additional trainee officials may be included but will not count as one of the two tending officials.

 

CHECKING & FOULS

  • All games to be MODIFIED CHECKING (below the shoulders).
  • As per USL, MANDATORY CARD fouls are: Dangerous Contact; Check To Head; Slash; Dangerous Propelling; Dangerous Follow-through.
  • The player receiving the card must leave the field and enter the penalty area for 2 minutes (yellow) and four minutes (red) of elapsed time.
  • The penalized team will play short-handed for the entire duration of the penalty.

 

GENERAL

  • There will be a 5 goal ‘Mercy-Rule’ on draws. If a team is leading by 5 goals or more, the team with fewer goals may opt to accept a ‘free position’ at the center of the Center Circle rather than have a draw for possession.
  • In the event that the Mercy Rule is in affect, and a free position at the Center Circle is accepted by the team trailing by 5 goals or more, the free position will be INDIRECT, meaning that the ball must be passed at least one time before a shot on goal may be taken.
  • All other rules not stipulated above shall conform to those indicated in the US Lacrosse 2017 Women’s Rulebook.

 

FIELD

  • Games shall be played on a regulation full-sized field properly marked as per USL guideline.

 

SCORE RECORDING

  • No official scores recorded will show a differential of more than ten (10) points regardless of the results of the game.